Arguably one of the most stunning regions of India, and perhaps the world, Kashmir is tragically unstable and poses a constant risk to tourists in the area. Civil unrest has plagued Kashmir to the point of closing for tourism in the past. But despite the warnings, there's always a bunch of eager travelers ready to enter whenever it reopens.
When it comes down to it, the conflict is mainly due to territorial issues. The people of Kashmir are majority Muslim and most would prefer to be independent, or at least part of Pakistan instead. But the area is important to the Indian government, so they probably won't be giving up the fight any time soon. If you don't want to get caught in any unpleasant and potentially deadly crossfire, we'd suggest visiting the Taj Mahal instead.